From the day I left school I got rugby bursaries… my parents never had to fund me…

— Joel Stransky

I’m not bad with money. I wouldn’t say I’m good. I made some errors along the way. I trusted a guy… he’s in jail… his legacy for me is catastrophic… I lost a chunk… at the time I tjanked…

— Joel Stransky

Each week The Money Show’s Bruce Whitfield interviews a famous person about her or his attitude to money (hopes and fears, successes and failures, etc.) as part of his weekly “Make Money Mondays” feature.

This week he interviewed former Springbok rugby player Joel Stransky.

Most South Africans will forever and a day remember that winning drop goal against New Zealand in the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

Many would have forgotten he also scored all South Africa’s points.

What does Stransky believe about money?

Does it keep him up at night?

Does he spend like crazy, or save compulsively?

How did his childhood experiences of money shape his views?

Listen to the interview in the audio below (and/or scroll down for more quotes from it).

Part of me wanted to be a professional coach… I’m very happy where I am, but rugby is part of my DNA!

— Joel Stransky

We grew up in Cape Town…. in a small house… my dad worked his butt off… we got by… it certainly wasn’t a spoilt upbringing…

— Joel Stransky

One regret I do have is that I never finished my degree.

— Joel Stransky

Dad earned the money, and decided where it would be spent.

— Joel Stransky

We had a proper middleclass upbringing… we went to good schools…

— Joel Stransky

We all had chores… but we never had to work…

— Joel Stransky

My first paying job was working in a sports shop... it was fantastic! I trashed all the sports equipment…

— Joel Stransky

1996 [When asked when he started making a living playing rugby].

— Joel Stransky

Players now understand their bodies a bit better… the camaraderie is still there… coming off the field battered and bruised…

— Joel Stransky

Leaving corporate life was hugely risky… From a lifestyle perspective… I haven’t had a salary increase, a bonus or a dividend… but, most importantly, our lifestyles are fantastic… we go on holiday when we want to go on holiday… my life is more relaxed and better… my wife enjoy this jol more than she enjoyed the corporate jol…

— Joel Stransky

Bicycles and accessories [are his extravagances].

— Joel Stransky

Face-planting is part of biking!

— Joel Stransky

[If money was no object] I would ride my bike more in different parts of the world…